While Athens-based psych-country collective Futurebirds have promised to release their first new full length in four years at the end of this summer, with Easy Company dropping August 9, the band’s keyboardist Spencer Thomas shared what he’s been up to since the release of 2020’s Teamwork last week when he dropped his new solo LP The Joke of Life. Leaning further into the lane of vintage pop-rock á la Warren Zevon or Bruce Springsteen, the 10-track album is a collaborative affair as it incorporates contributions from members of alt-country peers like My Morning Jacket and Drive-By Truckers, in addition to his bandmates in Futurebirds.
For a recent “Neighborhoods” session filmed at the idyllic Sandy Creek Park in Thomas’ current hometown of Athens, Georgia, the songwriter played solo renditions of the album tracks “Always Never You” and “Desperate Man.” Following a hot tip that we’re suckers for natural settings when filming videos for the series, the stripped-back acoustic renditions feel like a proper fit for the surrounding forestry. Check it out below.
